THE GOLF IS OPTIONAL, THE MIRTH IS REQUIRED! The only blog detailing PSU Track and Field, (not always great!) Golf, Physics topics and great videos at the same time! An eclectic mish-mash (mess) of just about everything imaginable. Penn State Track and Field Alumni Golfers have honored PSU Track/XC, Coach Harry Groves and abused golf courses throughout Happy Valley since 2002. Help spread the word!

Penn State Track And Field Alumni

Pageviews last month

Search PSU Track Alumni Golf for just about anything!

"Friendship, physics, and philosophy---this blog has it all."

-Anonymous, 2011.

"I enjoy what you are doing with this blog. It is truly the only reason to have a Facebook account."-Darryl Jones.

"Light yourself on fire and then roll in broken glass to put out the fire!"-from Isaiah Harris's Twitter Feed, explaining how to replicate the feeling after an 800M race."Even pit bulls call him Coach."-Brian Mount, reacting to a visit to Coach Groves from Hunter Backenstose's pit bull, Blanche.

"Keep up the great work."-Nick Scarpello, after winning the 2016 Carlsbad 5K.

"Goodbye to all that. (Politics) I am turning into Jeremiah Johnson, a shunner."-Rob Whiteside, walking the Appalachian Trail.

"I'd rather see you laying in a gutter with your head split open than to see you run like that." -Coach Groves, following a poor showing of 800M runners at a Beaver Stadium Meet, late 70's.

"You do a fantastic job."-Phil Caraher.

"You are amazing at blogging."-Walt Chadwick.

"Best blog out there."-Phil Passen.

"...it tops all sites I've seen with its sense of humor."-George Brose, author of the website Once Upon a Time in the Vest, about our humble blog.

"Great post as usual DFB!"-Darryl Jones.

"You just don't f*** with a f*****."-sage advice from Coach Groves, as told to Tim Backenstose and me, 5/17/14.

"When I was a kid, I saw an illegal dice game in the bathroom at Franklin Field."-Matthew Groves, 2013, remembering the Penn Relays Carnival.

"Don't sit next to Balkey and Artie at a track meet...You'll end up talking about hockey for 3 hours."-Coach Groves to Rebecca Donaghue, 2013.

"The first 45 mile week I ever ran, I ran in the first 3 days at PSU- Thank you very much, Bruce Baden!"-Larry Mangan, 2012.

"If it takes longer than a paragraph, you don't have anything to say anyway."-Coach Grovesat the 2012 Track Alumni Dinner"If you can't get excited for The Penn Relays than damn it, you aint got no soul!"-Coach Groves, as reported by Matt Lincoln at the 2012 Penn Relays.

"Athletics is for education and recreation, nothing else. Winning is important only in that you learn more."-Coach Harry Groves, 5/21/2011 at the Alumni "Run"."... for a brief time, I'm the greatest Track Coach in the world."-Coach Harry Groves, at his Retirement 2006.

"You must do something about the cheating!"-Coach Harry Groves, after golfing two holes with each foursome in 2009.

Subscribe to the Podcast

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A 90 sq. ft. home may be just what the doctor ordered in these difficult economic times, or any time for that matter. No wasted space and a severe reduction in "stuff" is probably something all of us need. Take a tour of these unique homes:

Friday, November 26, 2010

1. What song immediately brings back memories of Penn State?
2. Who was the biggest team clown during your track years?
3. What was your best PSU Track or XC performance?
4. What is your best Coach Groves memory?
5. What was your favorite haunt/watering hole in State College back in the day.
6. What was your least favorite workout?
7. What was the best place you lived while at Penn State?
8. Who from the team do you wish you could get in contact with?
9. What exercising do you currently do?
10. What was your best non-running or track related story from a track or XC meet?

1. Hmmm, This will sound corny, but I'd have to say any of the PSU "Fight Songs."
2. Without a doubt, Paul Stemmer
3. Best perfomance - I'd guess the 1:50. I ran indoors at MSG in the 2 mile relay at National AAUs. Otherwise mediocre
4. Having him chew out Hugh Hamill and I for circling back to pick him up on a 10 mile run - then a couple days later, chewing us out because we didn't.
5. The Phyrst on Saturday night
6. "Bit*h Hill"
7. Since I was a "townee," SC can't count - so when Mike Shine, Steve Hackman & I lived in Harrisburg while student teaching (the fall after Mike took the Silver)
8. A guy that left before he graduated - Steve Groom
9. Exercising - let's see, I jump through hoops, swim upstream, run around in circles, and even run amok. With all that I don't have time for much else.
10. Best non-track story - it started out non-, but ended on the track. In Dec 1975 we went to the Atlanta Peach Bowl Marathon (which George Christopher won and Carl Bechdel was maybe 8th - I just ran the half) and then went to the Sugar Bowl - I think the first year of the Superdome . I got the "snot beat out of me" after the game by some, I assume Bama fans. Later that winter we ran against them on the boards of MSG and I smacked the Bama runner with the baton and almost ran him off the high boards (with the help of the other "board familiar runners" inthe race. Felt good at the time. . .

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving! Here's Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving Song. (Mild Content warning, but nothing as bad as what happens when your entire family gets together for one whole meal!)

And here's a compilation of PSU's Men's team standing and their first finisher for every NCAA XC Championship meet ever held! Surprises abound. Many PSU Track Alumni Golfers in the mix. (I undoubtedly have made errors, so don't hesitate to make fun of me or correct me sternly, it will be just like home!)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

In the "Stachies at Nashies" competition by FloTrack.org to bring awareness of Prostate Cancer.

If you ever want a laugh, ask Rob Whiteside about my "full beard" when he first met me. An entire summer of not shaving led to an incomplete Fu Manchu I probably still couldn't complete.Another thing I'm not very good at...

Here's FloTrack's awardto the Penn State Team as well as Vince McNally's T-Shirt award for the overall best mustache at NCAAs.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Paul Mundy's Beast has been the official golf club of our group for years. I really hate to see it go, but after watching this video, I have no choice! Maybe Paul can turn that "extra" driver he has into a workable club with beverage dispenser? Or satellite radio? Or Spycam?

The PSU Men finished in 30th place, with Kyle Dawson and Vince McNally placing 52nd and 77th overall. I still put special emphasis on the contribution from the middle distance guys this year. I'm sure the 10 K distance took its toll in this race. I'm looking forward to great 800 M and 1500 M races this year from all of them. Overall, a good year for the team, setting themselves up for even better things in the future.

The Lady Lions placed 26th as a team, with Brooklynne Ridder placing 82nd overall. A solid year with a great young group, with great things coming in the upcoming years.

Steve Walsh'sWilliam and Mary crew placed 19th as a team in his first year as Coach. Let's hope his golf game won't suffer following the move to Virginia.

Kate Curran'sSt. Lawrence Men's team placed third overall in the Div III Championships, with Steve Kiplagat's third place pacing them. Her Women's squad placed 23rd also. I'm surprised she ever had the time to fill out the Ten Questions I posed to her!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Alberto Juantorena, Sebastian Coe, Wilson Kipketer and David Rudisha met in Monaco recently. The last 4 World Record Holders in the 800 M delighted in meeting each other and provided anexcellent discussion.

And here's Track and Field News' new compilation ofresults from every NCAA XC Championships, spanning 1938 to 2009. The 2010 version is tomorrow in Terre Haute with both PSU teams fully represented. Go State. Penn State ranks 5th in number of appearances at the Big Dance, or whatever cliche is used for XC.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Congrats to PSU Track Alumni Golfer, (and Closest to the Pin Winner 2010!) Steve Walsh. He led his new William and Mary team to a first place finish in the region, garneringCoach of the Year Honors in the process.

Our intrepid Roaming Correspondent Rob Whiteside brings usthis great item which should send shivers up the spine of most of us that pretend to golf several times a year. With friends like these, who needs enemies? (Reminds me of the classic joke from Finding Nemo: Seahorse says to a starfish, "With friends fronds like this, who needs anemone?")

Monday, November 15, 2010

1. What song immediately brings back memories of Penn State? Zombie Nation. Can’t say I have ever been a big techno fan but it was always good to hear this played at football games. I also worked summers for Gatorade out of Beaver Stadium for 6 years, and heard more than a few sound checks with this one. 2. Who was the biggest team clown during your track years? It always seemed like Shawn Cavanaugh could get everyone laughing pretty good. 3. What was your best PSU Track or XC performance? 10:49 Steeple, it’s not an impressive mark, but it did just barely get me into the NCAA Regional Championships. Jess Riden also informed me this spring that I’m just barely hanging on to a top ten mark with that one. 4. What is your best Coach Groves memory? I keep a book with important quotes - Coach Groves has his own section. I run into him at a few meets every year and always make some great additions to the book. My all time favorite memory comes down to seeing him retrieve a Koi fish out of the steeple pit with a bucket (shirtless) or the time he showed me his red boxer briefs, absolutely priceless. 5. What was your favorite haunt/watering hole in State College back in the day. I went to Sports Café on my 21st birthday, does that count?6. What was your least favorite workout? Repeat K’s on the indoor track. 7. What was the best place you lived while at Penn State? 328 West Nittany Ave with Matt Lincoln, Adam Voll, Molly Landreth, Colleen Connell, and Jenny Stevens…In my 5th year Erinn Otterson, Dan Ernie and a few others from the team moved in as well. 8. Who from the team do you wish you could get in contact with? Facebook has changed things, I still am able to keep in pretty good contact with most of my teammates. (Facebook is also the only way (so far) we know each other. She may have to rethink the merits of it!)9. What exercising do you currently do? I am very fortunate to be able to run with the teams I coach at St. Lawrence University. I usually run anywhere between 25-40 miles per week. 10. What was the actual ratio of Morning workouts/runs reported vs. those actually done? 1/1

I was unable to make it to the NCAA Regional Cross-Country Meet at PSU this week. But the long arm of Penn State Track and Field Alumni Golf is never far away from the action! My minions are always ready to cover any of my absences as both Tim Backenstose and Steve Shisler gave me reports and photos from the event. Steve recently became the distance coach at State College High School, joining fellow Track Alumni Dave Felice (Cross Country Coach). Tim is still recovering from the "Day on the Bay" with all the landlubbers, including me. It all seems so long ago already.....

I have included a new slide show of their photos on the right, above mine from the Penn State National last month. It's easy to see who has photography talent comparing the two.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

As we wait for the next Ten Questions, (and you know who you are!), this one should offend no one (or everyone equally anyway!). Remember the rules: Enter a caption in the comments section below. Please refrain from out-right indecency, but think along the lines of the censors for "Two and a Half Men". I reserve the right to banish anyone playing outside the rules! Enter as many times as you wish. The Prize will be the largest one yet. A Free Dinner at Next Year's Awards Ceremony (Shisler's Shindig!). Spread the word to your friends and enemies alike. The top 5 choices will be entered in the final vote on the left side-bar in the next 2 weeks. Pre-invasion Iraqi voting will be in force for this one. (That means I expect more than 100% turn-out for the best caption!)

Saturday, November 13, 2010

A second place finish by Kyle Dawson and a third place by Vince McNally paced the Lions. The Men's and Women's teams finished fourth and third respectively at the Regionals. Both teams move on to The Big Dance.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Anonymous has won the second photo caption contest. I think I know who it is, but I do hope he/she confirms it with an email. It's all so very hard to keep track of all this stuff! We had a big turn-out of voters, or at least a few voters and some sock-puppets. Regardless, Anonymous has won a gift certificate to The Creamery for a half gallon of deliciousness (or two cones).

Addendum: It was Bill Malchano's entry, and I spelled his name correctly this time. Congrats to a PSU Track And Field Alumni Golf Pioneer!

The third photo caption contest is coming very soon, and will take us out of the Universe of PSU Track and Field Alumni, just for a change. Everyone is eligible. I'm hoping for another great prize in the same relative price range. Anyone out there up for a donation?

And now for some foolishness, which happens to be my best topic. Certainly better than golfing or even running for sure.

The Hadron Collider has moved past the attempt to make the "God Particle" and is now concentrating on creating "A Little Bang".

Actual, real scientists (well, Archeologists anyway!) have determined that Beer was one of the most determining factors in the creation of Civilization! Some have told me that Fox News is the anti-beer, and will cause the collapse of civilization. We'll see. We'll see.

And here's my hero, and the smartest man I have ever heard about, Richard Feynman, explaining why UFO's are "most-likely" a creation of irrational terrestrial beings. Have I ever told you I once saw a UFO at the Pennsylvania/New York border? It was even documented in the New York Times the next day. No one ever explained the high altitude glowing ball many of us saw that afternoon. I never argued I wasn't an irrational terrestrial being.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

"...if he says it’s the place to be, it’s the place to be"
-Steve Walsh on taking career advice from Coach Groves.

Here's a link to the William and Mary Track Alumni web site and an interview with Steve Walsh, former PSU stand-out and new Head Cross-Country and Track Coach. Steve is an excellent golfer, at least until the rain starts, but that's another story. Our foursome's inept score had nothing at all to do with Steve. Some holes were strictly him playing for the other three of us. You all know how much I contribute!

While waiting for this week's NCAA Regional Meet at State College, we have a few diversions to keep us occupied. First, we'll confound the Physicists among us with this seemingly impossible experiment. Can a wind powered vehicle actually go straight downwind faster than the actual wind speed? It turns out it can!

And what is former President Bill Clinton's take on the return of the McRib sandwich (six weeks only people, so don't dilly dally!)

Monday, November 8, 2010

I realize I have spent a lot of time discussing Edison Pena already, but a little more won't hurt anything. His weekend achievement astounds me, and I think it gives hope to a world that seems directionless at the moment. A better 5:40 marathon probably has never been run.

Edison ran the New York City Marathon only weeks after being rescued from the Chilean Mine disaster and months since thinking his life was over. He hurt his knee after starting out much too fast (who among our ranks can't commiserate?), yet never, ever contemplated not finishing. His inclusion as a Hall of Honor member of our group is sealed. I will be sending him a sampling of our wrist bands, including the original "Harry's Boys" version. I have a feeling that Edison and Coach Groves would get along quite well.

And check out his rendition of an Elvis Presley classic at the end of this clip!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

There is still a couple of days left in the vote for the best caption to the photo of Clark Haley holding two Heinekens aloft. The Second Photo Caption Contest has a prize of a half gallon of Creamery ice cream (or 2 cones!) for the lucky writer. The third installment in the series will be upcoming, and we'll be sure to avoid embarrassing references to adult beverages this time. (In Clark Haley's defense, he was just stocking the cooler at a reunion evening, he wasn't double-fisting Heinekens!)

And the most important election result last week was the City Supervisor's prohibition of Happy Meals in San Francisco. First they came for the toys, then they came for your beer! "When Happy Meals are outlawed, only Outlaws will have Happy Meals."

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

From the newly ordained Assistant to the Laureate (and Chief Laundry and Morale Officer) Larry Mangan, comes these great tidbits attesting to the great genetics of our members.

Chris Rapp helped his Tennessee Volunteer teammates to their fourth place SEC position with his 26th place at the Conference Championships. Chris is the son of Tom Rapp ('81) and Mary (Rawe) Rapp ('81), two of the finest people you could ever meet. Both were All-Americans for PSU "in the good ole days", and Tom's name appears on the Harry Groves Memorial Cup!

Heather Ziegler, daughter of All-American John Ziegler helped her Meadville High School team to a first place finish of District 10 in PA. Larry also told me a great story about his recruiting visit to PSU, when John took him out on his first ever morning run. In typical John Ziegler fashion, the "5-miler" was 6 miles at 6 minute pace and very little talking from Larry for once! Hard to believe Larry still decided to come to PSU after that!

And Michael Mangan helped his Lower Moreland team to its first place finish in District One (?) advancing to States this weekend. Larry will be there, as well as Jeff Sanden and Mark Haywood. I hope they can give me reports if I can't make it.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Our theme for the second Photo Caption Contest is Suffrage, and who better to promote our vote than Susan B. Anthony. I also picked this photo because she looks as if she needs a shave as much as Clark did in the photo! (Just kidding.)

Needless to say, everyone can vote, including women. But only once this time. Chicago voting has been turned off for this episode. Vote on the Left Sidebar. To see the photo again, go HERE.